Yunusovskaya, “First Cathedral”, Mardzhani Mosque is a monument of culture and history of the Tatar people, which everyone knows in the city. The majestic outlines of an amazing structure for more than two centuries.
Mardzhani Mosque (Kazan): the history of creation
I must say that in the capital of Tatarstan today there are a lot of similar Muslim shrines. But in the eighteenth century, things were different.
The Mardzhani Mosque was built in Kazan, a photo of which can be seen in the article from 1767 to 1770. She became the embodiment of a period of religious tolerance throughout Russia. Representatives of the Tatar nobility and wealthy merchants during the visit of the Empress to Kazan complained to the "mother-intercessor" of persecution by the local authorities, which did not allow them to realize their Muslim customs.
Being an ardent supporter of tolerance, Catherine the Great immediately ordered A. N. Kvashnin-Samarin - the governor of the city, not to interfere with the construction of any religious buildings. Inspired by this, the residents of Kazan began to collect money for construction. They managed to collect the sum of five thousand rubles. It was with this money that the stone mosque of Mardjani was built. Catherine the Great wrote a permission with her own hand and even, according to legend, indicated a place for her.
origin of name
This Muslim shrine has had several of them in the entire history of its existence. It was originally called the "First Cathedral." Then it was renamed “Efendi” (the Lord's), and then to Yunusovskaya - by the name of the merchants who became her patrons. The last name - Al-Marjani Mosque - was given to her in honor of Imam Shigabutdin Marjani, who served in it in the second half of the nineteenth century and did a lot for the development of religious education in Kazan.
Description
The Marjani Cathedral Mosque was built by Tatar craftsmen. The project was created by the “lieutenant of architecture” V. Kaftyrev. He is known as the author of the restructuring of the burnt upper and surviving lower parts of the city of Kazan, which he built up according to the general plan immediately after the Pugachev assault. Today, the Mardzhani mosque with its Bulgarian-Tatar decor and carved stone ornaments is considered a true decoration of the capital of Tatarstan.
The minaret, located on a four-sloping green roof, is quite characteristic of local architecture. Next to the mosque is the house of the scientist, historian, religious reformer and encyclopedist Shigabutdin Mardzhani. There is also a madrasah, where he taught his students the faith, which went side by side with scientific and realistic understandings of the world order.
Mardzhani Mosque is a two-story building with a T-shaped extension on its northern side, on the southern right wing of which there is an entrance. Functionally, the structure is divided into the first economic and second floor, where the enfilade prayer rooms are located. The rooms inside the mosque overlap the vaults. In the halls on the second floor, a magnificent stucco gilded ornament is made on the ceiling, combining the motives of the Baroque floral decor and Tatar applied art.
Interior decor
Patterned walls are painted in green, blue and golden colors. A spiral staircase inside the minaret overlooks the balcony through the upper tier. It is made in the form of a semicircle and is intended for the muezzin. In the right wall part dividing the halls, there is a door leading to the minaret. Three of its tiers have virtually no decor. But the high window openings on the second floor are framed by baroque platbands, and the corners and walls are highlighted by single and twin pilasters. The masters interwoven stylized elements from the Tatar arts and crafts into their ionic capitals.
Address
Mardzhani Mosque is one of the main attractions of the Old Tatar settlement. It is open to tourists, however, in compliance with the rules in force in religious Muslim institutions. As in any mosque, shoes should be left at the entrance. Women must be in skirts and scarves. This is the only way to enter the Mardzhani Mosque (Kazan). The address of this Muslim shrine is Kayum Nasyri street, building 17.
Reconstruction
One of the initiators of the construction and the first mullah of the Yunusov mosque was Abubakir Ibragimov, who is a very authoritative religious figure for his time. After his death in 1793, the famous scholar-theologian Ibrahim Khuzyash became the imam-khatib. As necessary, the building of the mosque was repaired and completed. The work was carried out at the expense of individuals.
At first, the roof of the mosque was covered with shingles, but already in 1795 it was reconstructed and tightened with sawn boards with the efforts of two patrons. And after the fire that happened in 1797, the mosque had to be closed again. The son of Muhammedrahim and his son Ibrahim worked on the roof of Gubaydullah. This time sawn boards were replaced with sheets of tin. Ibrahim also surrounded the area with a stone fence.
In 1863, the mosque was expanded by an extension, a window was made in it. More than two decades later, the minaret was strengthened.
By a resolution of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR in 1960, the mosque was recognized as an architectural monument of federal significance. Since 2001, the building was reconstructed again. The work was completed to celebrate the millennium of the capital of Tatarstan. More than twenty-seven million rubles were allocated for the reconstruction of this cathedral mosque.
Today
This Muslim shrine is certainly visited by those numerous guests who arrive in the capital of Tatarstan. Government delegations are also brought here. It can be said that the visiting card of the republic is precisely the Mardzhani mosque (Kazan). A photo of Nikakh (Muslim marriage) within its walls can be viewed below.
From 1995 to the present, the parish has been led by Imam Mansour-Hazrat. About six hundred believers gather for Friday prayers under the arches of the mosque. During Haiti, there is practically no place in a mosque. Those who come who do not fit inside, read the holiday prayer outside, sitting in the adjacent territory.
Today the state has created the most favorable conditions for people of all faiths. Through the efforts of Imam Mansour-Hazrat, a rather large cultural center was created around the Mardjani mosque. He combined several structures at once: an orphanage and a nursing home, a rich Islamic library, a house museum, a medical center, the Halal Rizik store, which sells permitted Muslim products, workshops where folk products are created, and a guest house etc. The Mardzhani Mosque today has preserved its traditions: it, as before, is considered the center of Islam in the entire Volga region.
Reviews
Here you can see not only believers, but also tourists. Many sightseeing tours include visiting such a religious shrine as the Mardzhani Mosque (Kazan). The reviews of those who saw this amazing structure indicate that, regardless of religion, holy places are equally dear to everyone. Visitors say that in sunny weather the mosque from a distance resembles a mountain snowy peak. And at night the building is beautifully illuminated.